DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa Capitol Bureau) – After four years of declining to take up Iowa House bills restricting the use of eminent domain for pipeline construction, the Iowa Senate Monday sent a bill to Governor Kim Reynolds’ desk.
House File 639 would require that projects requesting to use eminent domain serve the public’s interest. The bill’s supporters say the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline is owned by a private company and therefore doesn’t serve the public.
The bill reforms how Iowa Utilities Commission landowner meetings are run and requires pipeline companies to have insurance to cover damages and losses. It also requires pipeline companies themselves to cover property owners who can’t get insurance due to the pipeline or reimburse land owners for increased premiums.
Sen. Mike Bousselot (R-Ankeny) proposed an amendment to the bill that would address some grievances land owners have with how the IUC permitting process ran. It also prohibited the use of eminent domain being used for carbon capture pipelines except if the project was authorized before the bill takes effect. Senators defeated the amendment.
During debate, Bousselot said the bill opens the state up to lawsuits since the Iowa Utilities Commission already gave Summit approval to build it. He also says environmental activists could use the law to try and stop other projects.
“It will create more avenues for environmental extremists to sue when our power companies who have proposed and are discussing new natural gas plants in Southern Iowa. Hundreds of millions of dollars in investment and jobs,” he said.
But Senator Jeff Taylor (R-Sioux Center) says it’s time the state says that carbon capture pipelines aren’t for public use.
“It doesn’t mean that Summit can’t proceed but they’re gonna have to do it with voluntary easements. They’re not going to get to the point of using state power to initiate condemnation proceedings,” he said.
12 Republican senators slowed the legislative session’s progress by refusing to vote on any budget bills until the eminent domain reform bill passed. It was scheduled to be debated Friday, however lawmakers spent much of the day in closed door meetings and decided to head home for the weekend without voting on the bill.
Monday, Sen. Jason Schultz (R-Schleswig) opened the session Monday with an appeal to a higher power to ease the frustration in his prayer.
“Gracious Lord, finishing session leads to increased tension. We ask that this day and for the rest of the session you ease this tension between people. Between friends, between chambers, and among all the branches of state government,” he said.
Debate Monday started after 6:00 p.m. and lasted until around 10:40 p.m. with lawmakers adding and voting on amendments and frequently going to caucus meetings.
The bill passed in a 27-22 vote.
It now goes to Governor Kim Reynolds’ desk for her signature. She’s previously declined to weigh in on the issue. Mason Mauro, a spokesman for Reynolds, said Monday that they’re reviewing the bill.
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Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa. Email him at conner.hendricks@gray.tv; and follow him on Facebook at Conner Hendricks TV on X/Twitter @ConnerReports, and on TikTok @ConnerReports.
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